Digitalisation of Defence in NATO and the EU: Making European Defence Fit for the Digital Age

Abstract：NATO and the EU have embarked on a process of digi tal transformation of defence. In 2022 and 2023, NATO adopted its first-ever Digital Transformation vision and a Digital Transformation Implementation Strategy, while the EU endorsed a Strategic Implementation Plan for the Digitalisation of EU Forces, integrated cyber effects in EU military operations and prioritised digi tal capabilities under the fourth pillar (investment) of its Strategic Compass document. Subject to sectoral strategies, different elements of digital transformation – including data, cloud and the Internet of Things – are increasingly connected, contributing to the digitalisa tion of defence as an enabler of multi-domain opera tions and defence innovation through the application of emerging and disruptive technologies.